I'm going to blame my bad attitude on this topic on our continued financial stresses, since I really don't think the American Red Cross is an evil entity, but I was pretty peeved a few months back when I learned that they SELL the blood donations to hospitals at a nice profit! I likely missed the boat on learning the truth, but in my mind, they were going around collecting blood from generous, non-squeamish souls (myself excluded) out of the goodness of their red cross hearts. Turns out they drive those bloodmobiles all the way to the bank! (And yes I am smirking at my cleverness...what can I say, it's been a long day devoid of humor.) Well, when you are married to an O- a.k.a. universal donor guy, they really want to get you under the needle. And by "you" I mean him. So we get several calls a month, now, from the Red Cross and sometimes other blood collection groups, letting him know where they will be collecting blood and inviting him to come "donate". We got one such call today. And it's not even my blood, but I feel a whole lot less generous with my husband's liquid gold now that I know they'll just turn around and make a nice profit from it. We've decided that we should just skip the middle man and sell his blood/plasma ourselves, but that would require that he actually have time to sit down for a half hour and do nothing. Which unfortunately he doesn't have the luxury of doing presently. And he certainly can't afford to do it for nothing!
I'm O+, which is apparently not as valuable since it can't be given to preemies. Darn RhD antigens! Actually, this is a good thing because it diminishes my guilt at wanting to keep all my blood to myself. I felt faint watching Bill Nye the Science Guy donate blood. I don't think it's the thing for me, whether paid or pro bono.
5 comments:
I'm O+ too. I haven't donated blood in years. I always feel guilty, but not guilty enough to go do it. Thanks for easing some of that. And the "bloodmobile to the bank" comment was funny.
I have passed out giving blood. OK not donating. They were taking it while I was at the docs, but still. That's a pretty good reason right? Remember when our blonde roommate always tried to convince us to go with her to donate blood? Becca? Is this an actually memory...because it seems way to fuzzy to have really happened. I'm senile. and old.
Wow, who knew they SOLD your blood! Just another excuse for me not to give blood. "I almost faint and turn a lovely shade of green" and "I lived in England and Germany growing up" are my other excuses.
I had no idea you were so squeamish! And I had no idea they sell what they collect. Maybe I just don't understand how they operate. Do they get any governmental funding or are they entirely self-sufficient? If they are self-sufficient I suppose they need some way to earn money. But they need to publicize that to the donors more explicitly. They make it sound like they're out there doing a good deed, not building a business (is it possible to do both?). I'm going to have to read the paperwork next time Jim gives blood!
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who didn't know what was up with the Red Cross. Debra, I don't know all the answers to your questions, though while I was looking around for info, I found a few websites very interested in telling "the truth". I think they are doing a good deed and making money at it, probably. Isn't that the only way that good deed doing continues? Somebody has to make a living...most charities have a paid staff of some sort.
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